Listen to the legend of the Maritime Silk Road in Quanzhou, a world heritage city!

The mountains want to block it, and the sea wants to rush forward!

The vast sea is a stormy sea, but it is also a fertile road ahead. When we choose to face it bravely, this blue world often breeds new possibilities.

Quanzhou, a small city leaning on mountains and facing the sea, uses 22 heritage sites from mountains and seas to world heritage sites, from mountains to plains to seaports, to tell us the legend of maritime trade in the Song and Yuan Dynasties. story.

Quanzhou was once the starting point of the ancient Maritime Silk Road,

"the largest port in the East",

the "City of Light" written by Marco Polo ".

This city with red walls and green shades all year round was once a glorious legend and a port that merchants all over the world longed to go to.

How was the world ocean trade center born during the Song and Yuan Dynasties?

01

Rise: The Birth of a Port City

For a long time, Quanzhou was not noticeable. Since the establishment of Minzhong County in the Qin Dynasty, Quanzhou has been assigned to different counties and counties. It is an ordinary small town on the land of China.

Quanzhou has its difficulties. Surrounded by mountains on three sides and facing the sea on one side, it has been many mountains and few fields since ancient times. It is also difficult to transport from grain-producing areas such as western and northern Fujian due to mountainous barriers.

When mountains become obstacles, fortunately, there is an endless sea in Quanzhou. The vast ocean is giving birth to new possibilities. As a port, Quanzhou has inherent advantages.

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One sentence explains the geographical advantage of Quanzhou Port. The long and winding coastline has formed many harbors, which have the advantages of both estuary ports and bay ports. The trumpet-shaped Quanzhou Port has a large opening and a wide inland water area, allowing ships to directly enter the inland river to anchor and take shelter from the wind.

Coupled with the warm climate along the southeast coast, it is perfect for building a port. As early as the early Tang Dynasty, Quanzhou Port's trade had begun to take shape.

Since the Jin Dynasty moved south, the southeast of China has gradually been developed. After the development of the Sui and Tang Dynasties, it has become "today's endowment is the best in the world, and the south of the Yangtze River ranks among the 19th." The developed commodity economy along the southeast coast needs more development. There are many ports to handle goods. Quanzhou is one of them.

In the late Tang Dynasty, Quanzhou had become a prosperous port city and a famous treaty port in the country.

At the same time, at the other end of the continent, an Arab empire spanning Asia, Africa and Europe was rising. Their fleets transported Persian sulfur to China, Chinese ceramics to Greece, and Greek brocades to India. They were engaged in worldwide trade and were the main maritime merchants.

Coupled with the development of maritime trade among the countries in the South China Sea, the need for a huge port has been put on the agenda.

Compared with other ports, Quanzhou has another advantageous location. Quanzhou is located at the midpoint of the domestic coastal route. Compared with Guangzhou, it is closer to the capital. Compared with Lin'an (today's Hangzhou) and Mingzhou (today's Ningbo), it is closer to the South China Sea.

Although compasses were widely used and navigation technology was greatly improved during the Southern Song Dynasty, sea navigation was still extremely dangerous. Being close to the ports of the South China Sea countries can greatly reduce the sailing time of merchant ships coming from afar, so it is naturally the first choice. Quanzhou Port is a choice under the checks and balances of multiple parties’ interests.

The rise of the port is inseparable from the government's careful management.

In the second year of Yuanyou of the Northern Song Dynasty (1087 AD), the Song Dynasty government established the Municipal Shipping Department in Quanzhou and established Quanzhou as an official trading port.

In the Southern Song Dynasty, the capital was built in Lin'an, which was located in the southeastern corner of An. It lost nearly one-third of its land and its household registration was greatly reduced. It urgently needed tax revenue from overseas trade to cope with huge financial expenditures. At this time, the Quanzhou Shipping Department's annual income relieved the court's urgent needs.

Overseas trade has received great attention from the supreme ruler. Before taking up their posts, Quanzhou's city officials had to report to the palace and be given "face-to-face instructions" by the emperor; foreign businessmen enjoyed preferential policies, and Tibetan merchants who brought in more goods were rewarded; overseas Chinese businessmen's religious beliefs and customs were fully understood. respect.

Tribute envoys coming to Beijing were greeted and sent off by "prostitutes and music" along the way; when Chinese and foreign merchants left Quanzhou, there was a grand wind praying ceremony to wish them a safe journey back to their homeland.

Today, the stone carvings on Qifeng on Jiuri Mountain outside the west gate record that this farewell banquet was attended by clan members and senior officials of the Song Dynasty. It was an unprecedented event.

The rewards are also great. At the end of the Southern Song Dynasty, Quanzhou provided more than one-fifth of the annual income for the Song royal family. Emperor Gaozongchan of the Song Dynasty once said: "The profit of shipping is the greatest. If handled properly, the income can be worth millions."

With vast cargo and prosperity, this hospitable port attracts people from all over the world. businessman. Some people stay for a short time and take away a lifetime of memories, while others settle down for a long time and call Quanzhou their hometown.

02

It’s vaguely like it was in its heyday

"Erythus is one of the largest ports in the world. A large number of merchants gather here and the goods are piled up. It is really unimaginable. . . . The scenery of this area is beautiful, the residents believe in Buddhism, the people are peaceful, love comfort and freedom." When Marco Polo came to Quanzhou, the heyday of Quanzhou Port had already arrived.

What lay before his eyes was a country with an unprecedentedly vast territory, but with extremely close connections. In order to maintain the rule of the huge empire and strengthen local control, the Yuan Dynasty built canals connecting the north and south and built post roads to facilitate transportation.

The post road system throughout the country allowed Quanzhou’s goods and rare treasures imported from overseas to circulate quickly in the mainland.

Fujian Province has many mountains and blocked rivers. Especially at the junction of rivers and seas, the tides are strong and the water is strong, making ferrying difficult. Building bridges is another basis for the circulation of goods.

The Song Dynasty was the peak period of bridge construction in Fujian. Luoyang Bridge, built in the Northern Song Dynasty, is an important transportation thoroughfare connecting Fuzhou and Quanzhou. Merchants starting from Quanzhou could directly cross the Luoyang River and go north to Fuzhou.

The construction of the Anping Bridge, the longest existing stone bridge in China, has become an important transportation artery between Nan'an and Jinjiang for north-south trade. Passing Anping Bridge to Shuitou Town in Nan'an, you can continue southbound to communicate with Fujian and Guangdong.

In the Yuan Dynasty, Quanzhou built six more bridges, namely Jinji, Nanzhao, Xiang'e, Yingtou, Xianaan and Jinxi bridges. The huge and solid stone bridges completely opened up water and land transportation.

The developed sea and land transportation internally connects the province’s economic hinterland and even goods from other provinces in the country; externally, the excellent port welcomes sea visitors and sells porcelain and silk cloth to the world.

In the Yuan Dynasty, Quanzhou Port had formed a number of mature maritime transportation routes, from the Indian Ocean to the Pacific Ocean, from Europe, Arabia to South Asia. Large-scale commercial exchanges weaved the entire world into a prosperous sea. in the picture.

The literati at that time couldn't help but sigh: "The spring is the capital of the Seven Fujian Provinces. It is a place for exotic goods and rare treasures. It is also the cave and residence of wealthy merchants in other areas. It is known as the most beautiful place in the world." ."

Groups of merchant ships came across the ocean, loaded with Western gems and spices, and sailed into Quanzhou Port with the south wind. These overseas merchants, who spoke more than 100 languages, brought rhinoceros horns, tortoise shells, frankincense, corals... a dazzling array of treasures from various countries.

Blue and white porcelain, Dehua white porcelain, silk and satin, these silks and porcelain are enough to make European aristocrats shine with golden light. Starting from this small southeastern coastal city, they influence the world's aesthetics.

Hundreds of years of accumulated navigation skills, abundant commodity resources, and unprecedented open policies all burst out, pushing trade to a magnificent climax. As "the largest port in the East", Quanzhou stands proudly at the forefront of the world.

03

Culture has lasted for thousands of years

History seems to have played a joke on Quanzhou. At the highest note of the gorgeous movement, everything came to an abrupt halt. end.

At the end of the Yuan Dynasty, a ten-year war destroyed the prosperity of Quanzhou; the Ming Dynasty began to implement a sea ban, private overseas trade was prohibited, and the strict and cumbersome tribute trade policy made the trade of Quanzhou Port useless. ; The Qing Dynasty's maritime ban policy caused the trade of Quanzhou Port to never recover.

However, the proud and tolerant Quanzhou will not be easily defeated.

Hundreds of years of prosperity and openness have become the cultural background of this city, attracting us again and again to this unique city.

We found that the living habits and beliefs brought by foreign businessmen living in Quanzhou still affect the residents of this land.

In this small town, there is the Buddhist Kaiyuan Temple built in the Tang Dynasty, the Qingjing Temple, the oldest existing Islamic temple in China, the only existing Manichaean temple ruins in the world, and the Tianhou Temple dedicated to Mazu, the goddess of the sea. Wait, more than 30 sects have left traces here.

With three steps to a temple and five steps to a Buddhist hall, the Museum of World Religions is not a name for nothing.

When the morning bells and evening drums are heard from the Buddhist hall, the call to prayer from the mosque breaks the tranquility of the evening. When you turn around, the incense in the Guandi Temple is booming, and there is an endless stream of pious figures. Quanzhou is a city where even the gods are citizens of the world.

Exotic eating habits have also taken root in Quanzhou.

Influenced by the Muslim faith, which loves beef, Quanzhou has a beef culture for the first time, and it still has a soft spot for beef. The stew ingredients are mixed with curry that is popular in hot flash areas, catering to the tastes of merchants from all over the world.

A Chinese-style steak, a bowl of beef soup and a bowl of salty rice are all-round satisfaction for your hunger.

In the fishing village of Xianpu, the ancient Xianpu girls of Arab descent still live in the oyster shell house and wear hairpins on their heads. The legacy of Central Asia is still lingering.

Tea and porcelain once carried the name of CHINA to trade with the world, traveled across the ocean, and influenced the taste and aesthetics of the world. After returning from the world, brewing a cup of mellow and fragrant Anxi Tieguanyin with a tureen made of exquisite Dehua white porcelain is still the most comforting comfort for Quanzhou people.

A thousand years ago, our ancestors opened up the Maritime Silk Road with fearless spirit and connected with the world through the vast sea. This is an ancient country with a fearless mind open to the world.

Today, when we go out into the world and face exchanges and collisions between cultures, this is also the example that Quanzhou sets for us.

Reference materials:

"Study on the prosperity of Quanzhou Port in the Yuan Dynasty and its reasons" Lin Yiru

"Maritime Trade and the Commercial Economy of Quanzhou in the Song and Yuan Dynasties" Yuan Bing Ling

"Analysis on the Causes and Characteristics of the Existence of Multi-religious Culture in Quanzhou during the Maritime Silk Road Period" Wu Dajian

"On the Rise and Decline of Quanzhou Port in the Song and Yuan Dynasties" Zhu Jialun

"Why did Quanzhou Port suddenly emerge as a force during the two Song dynasties" Zhou Zhongjian

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Editor｜Art Travel Culture Chong Chong Jun